News

Artistes

Presse

Commentaire

Although staged at the furthest reaches of Greater London, and not really qualifying for a “West End” listing, this was a notable production since it was the first major revival in almost 40 years. Lionel Bart himself was working on the production, and preparing some new lyrics, when he died, just two weeks before the opening night. It was staged with the cast doubling as the orchestra and playing their own instruments.

Multimedia on-line de cette
production

Photos

Théâtre

Spectacle

Videos

Pas encore de video disponible pour ce spectacle

CD de cette production

D'autres versions de cette oeuvre

Version 1

Theatre Royal Stratford East à Londres (Original)Durée :Nombre :Première Preview : mar. 17 février 1959Première : mar. 17 février 1959Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 2

Theatre Royal Stratford East à Londres (Revival)Durée :Nombre :63 représentationsPremière Preview : mar. 22 décembre 1959Première : mar. 22 décembre 1959Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 3

Garrick Theatre à Londres (West End Transfer)Durée :Nombre :897 représentationsPremière Preview : jeu. 11 février 1960Première : jeu. 11 février 1960Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 4

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch à Londres (Revival)Durée : 2 semaines Nombre :Première Preview : ven. 16 avril 1999Première : lun. 19 avril 1999Dernière : sam. 08 mai 1999Mise en scène : Bob Carlton • Chorégraphie : Liz Marsh • Avec : Steve Edwin (Fred), Diana Croft (Lily), Dale Superville, Tony Hunt, Liz Marsh, Nina Lucking, Richard Brightiff, Phil HearneCommentaires : Although staged at the furthest reaches of Greater London, and not really qualifying for a “West End” listing, this was a notable production since it was the first major revival in almost 40 years. Lionel Bart himself was working on the production, and preparing some new lyrics, when he died, just two weeks before the opening night. It was staged with the cast doubling as the orchestra and playing their own instruments.En savoir plus sur cette version

Généralités: Histoire, thèmes et particularités

Résumé

Fred Cochran, the hero, is a down-at-heel gangster, trying to make a comeback. Lil Smith is his loyal moll, a tart with a heart of gold, who longs for respectability and keeps a marriage licence ready for her lucky day. Fred's shpieler (gambling den) provides a refuge for the failures of the underworld: Paddy the gambler, Tosher the ponce with his girls Betty and Rosey, and Redhot, a sad little burglar who never manages to get warm. They all look to Fred for a living and when he wins on the horses it seems the gang may be back in business. Fred redecorates his place, all "contempery" and at the opening the Horrible Percey Fortesque comes to gamble and a rival leader, Meatface, is beaten in a razor fight. The play ends with a wedding - Lil and Fred are giving up crime to go straight; handing over the shpieler to the constable on the beat who has long wanted to go crooked!

Quelques commentaires

The author admits that the final published version of Fings owes much to the improvisation that took place during rehearsals by the Theatre Workshop Company who originally staged it. It was conceived as a straight play with music rather than a musical play; but it does provide opportunities for extras and for some lively ensembles. The music is all in unison and the play is therefore specially suited to the dramatic society looking for a musical show.

Historique du musical

Génèse du musical

Fart of a new wave of British musicals (Expresso Bongo, The Crooked Mile) dealing with the more sordid aspects of London life, Fings Ain't Wot They Used t'Be was celebrated for its realistic depiction of such Soho institutions as brasses (prostitutes), ponces (pimps), and spielers (gambling dens). Author Frank Norman, a former member of Soho’s underworld, originally wrote the story as a play without music and sent the first draft to Joan Littlewood of the Theatre Workshop. Miss Littlewood then called in Lionel Bart, who had previously written only lyrics, and the three turned it into a musical. It was first presented at the Theatre Royal, Stratford, Feb. 17, 1959, with the cast improvising much of the dialogue and situations. Its Guys-and-Dollsish story is concerned with Fred Cochran, who runs a grubby spieler, and his ambition to become a bigshot again. After winning a huge bet on a horse race, Fred has his place redecorated, but the opening-night party is ruined when Fred is beaten up for failing to pay off the police. Eventually he marries his longtime girlfriend, Lily. During run, Glynn Edwards was succeeded by Bryan Pringle, James Booth by Maurice Kaufmann.

Détails

Liste des chansons

Prologue
Proceding in a Westerly Direction
G'Night Dearie
Fings Ain't Wot They Used t'Be
Laying Abaht
Where It's Hot
Ceilin's Comin' Dahn, The
Contempery
Cochran Will Return
Polka Dots
Meatface
Where Do Little Birds Go?
Big Time
Carve Up!
Cop a Bit of Pride
Student Ponce, The
Place in the Old Country, A

Textes disponibles on-line

Aucun livret ou texte de chanson disponibles pour le moment

Pour en savoir plus

Versions du musical

Versions majeures de Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be

Version 1

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959-02-Theatre Royal Stratford East-London) (Original)Durée :Nombre :Première Preview : mardi 17 février 1959Première : mardi 17 février 1959Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 2

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959-12-Theatre Royal Stratford East-London) (Revival)Durée :Nombre :63 représentationsPremière Preview : mardi 22 décembre 1959Première : mardi 22 décembre 1959Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 3

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1960-02-Garrick Theatre-London) (West End Transfer)Durée :Nombre :897 représentationsPremière Preview : jeudi 11 février 1960Première : jeudi 11 février 1960Dernière : InconnuMise en scène : Joan Littlewood • Chorégraphie :Avec : Miriam Karlin (¡My Smith), James Booth (Tosher), Wallas Eaton (Horace Seaton), Glynn Edwards (Fred Cochran), Barbara Windsor (Rosie), Toni Palmer (Betty), Tom Chatto (Sgt. Collins), Faddy Joyce (Paddy).Commentaires : Original ly created at the Theatre RoyStratford East for a limited season in February 1959. This was revived at Stratford for Christmas 1959 and then transferred to the West End in February 1960. Originally Frank Norman, a former member of the Soho underworld, wrote the piece as a straight play, but Joan Littlewood decided to make it a musical. As was the policy of the Theatre Workshop Company, the cast was responsible for much of the dialogue and action in their improvisation sessions.En savoir plus sur cette version

Version 4

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1999-04-Queen's Theatre Hornchurch-London) (Revival)Durée : 2 semaines Nombre :Première Preview : vendredi 16 avril 1999Première : lundi 19 avril 1999Dernière : samedi 08 mai 1999Mise en scène : Bob Carlton • Chorégraphie : Liz Marsh • Avec : Steve Edwin (Fred), Diana Croft (Lily), Dale Superville, Tony Hunt, Liz Marsh, Nina Lucking, Richard Brightiff, Phil HearneCommentaires : Although staged at the furthest reaches of Greater London, and not really qualifying for a “West End” listing, this was a notable production since it was the first major revival in almost 40 years. Lionel Bart himself was working on the production, and preparing some new lyrics, when he died, just two weeks before the opening night. It was staged with the cast doubling as the orchestra and playing their own instruments.En savoir plus sur cette version

Multimedia on-line

Vidéos on-line

Principaux CD du musical

About our Company

Add a small bit of information about your company here to help the search engines spider your page a bit better. As you add more information the content will expand. For best 'looks' try to match the amount of text up with the height of the other containers in the footer.

Recent Updates

Add a bit of information here on a monthly basis to tell your visitors and search engines which pages you've recently updated, and with what information.

Add a bit of information here on a monthly basis to tell your visitors and search engines which pages you've recently updated.